Holy Grail: Crisis In Utopia

One would think after the awesomeness of Monty Python And The Holy Grail there would be many more bands with this name. However, a quick browse through the Metal Archives told me otherwise. In the world of metal there is only one Holy Grail and that’s the one we’re talking about.

The most striking thing about this band is their ability to seamlessly fuse classic and modern heavy metal. It’s as though Manowar and Pantera had a manly child and taught it all things metal and forced it to start a band. I was expecting something along the lines of power metal but was pleasantly surprised to find breakdowns, start-stop staccato riffs and other techniques that aren’t usually associated with the oldschool heavy metal sound. To categorize these guys as purists was definitely a mistake on my part and I paid for it in many headbanging increments. While just about anyone with a guitar and enough distortion can claim to be playing metal, very few bands can actually infuse their music with an attitude that is metal.

Honestly, if someone had just told me that Scott Hull of Pig Destroyer mastered this album I would have checked it out just on that merit. This is a metal album for old and new metal fans alike. If you’re curious, grab it. There is nothing to deliberate about with this release.